Electric-lamp support



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- H. C. SAMPLE & P. RABL.

EleotrioLaJ-mp Support.

Patented June 2 8, I`881.

'414,59 ,er-rig N. PETERS, Phummhogmph", washington. n. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY O. SAMPLE AND FRANZ RABL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC-LAMP SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 243,406, dated June 28, 17881.

Application iled Aprilll, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that we, HENRY C. SAMPLE and FRANZ RABL, bot-h of the city ot' Philadelphia, county oi' Philadelphia, and State ot' Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Electric-Lamp Supports, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention has reference to supports or posts adapted to electric lighting of cities; and it consists of a single post or column provided with a curved support or arm pivoted to the column at Athe top and adapted to rotate thereon further, in providing said column and arm with central apertures for carrying and guiding one or more insulated electrical conductors or cables; further, in a strut or guide-rod conneetingthe point of the arm with the column, and upon which the electriclamp is guided to and from its position for illuminatingto its position for relitting with carbons and inspection, and vice versa; further, in providing the electric lamp with a grooved roller to guide said lamp down and up said guidestrut; further, in lsecuring one end of the conducting-cable to the lamp and the other end to mechanism for raising and lowering the lamp; and, finally, in many details ofconstruction, as more fully set forth in the followf* ing specification, and shown in the accompa-f nying drawings, which form part thereof.

The general shape of this invention will resemble some of the numerous cranes 5 but, of course, it is to be understood that-we do not claim the construction so as to cover such cranes, but the means employed to support the electric lamp over the roadway to get a maximum effect.

Heretofore it has been the practice to support the electric lamps on the pinnacle of a vertical rod or post, as in the casevof gaslamps, said posts being located on the side- Walks, as in the case of our street-lighting by coal-gas to-day. The objection to this is evident, for much of the illuminating-power of the lamp is lost by diffusion and obstructions, unequallyli ghtin g both sides ofthe street, and thereby requiring more lamps to the mile. If the lamps be supported at a distance ot about fteen feet above the sidewalk they will be above the awnings, thus leaving thestreet in their proximity in darkness.

To overcome these objections we support the lamp over the roadway and at some distance from the sidewalk, in wehich case the illumi- `nation is more equally thrown on both sides and up and dpwn the street, lighting a far greater length of street and more perfectly with less lamps.

Our object is, further, to provide means whereby the lamp audits supporting-arm may be turned out of the way, should it` ever become necessary, for the passage close to the curbing of some extremely high vehicle. We give a clearance ot' twenty feet or more, as required, which is deemed sufficient to be clear of all vehicles'of the present day which may be found upon our streets.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of our improved electric-lamp support with part in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism to raise and lower the lamp, with the post broken away. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of same. "Figs 4 and 5 show modified forms for supporting the swinging arm on top of the column.

A is the column, which consists of a vertical post of cast-iron about sixteen feet high, made hollow, and having an open portion below the street-dange to secureitin the ground, as in the case of our ordinary gas-lamp posts. This post A is provided with an enlargement or box, D, at some distance from the sidewalk U, which contains a windlass, E, or other equivalent device, as explained hereinafter. The top of the column or post is bored out, as at L, for the reception of the spindle or pivot M of the hub M. This spindle is kept from being retracted by means of a pin working in a groove, as shown at m, in which the pin is fast to the column.

rIhe arm or support B ispreferabl y made of tubing bent in the proper shape and screwed into the hub M. This arm B extends over the roadway V a distance of about ten feet or more, and carries on the end a cap, O, which carries a guide or friction'roller, Q.

The strut or guide C is provided at the topI with a vertical hole, o, through which a pin or bolt, d, is passed, securing itloosel y to the cap O on the end of the arm B. The guide O is curved, so as to be carried out of the Way of thev passing vehicles, and is provided at the bot- IOO torn with ashoulder furnished with a hook,T, and a projecting pin, t, which -passes through a hole, i", in the bracket R,bolted to the post, and which it iits loosely.

The lamp X may be of any of the usual designs, and is provided with a strap carrying a grooved guide-roller, Y, which runs upon guide C, to guide the lamp up or down.

The cable W contains two insulated wires or small compound cables made of a series of small wires. These wires or separate conductors are electrically connected with the two electrodes of the lamp, and are fastened to the strap carrying the roller Y. The cable then passes overthe roller Q, through the arm B and the spindle M, down the column A, to the windlass E. One iiange of the windlass E is provided with two insulated rings, J and K, which are electrically connected, re-

spectively, with the positive and negativel wires of the cable W. Upon these rings contact-springs J' and X' press, thereby connecting the wires P and N with theI cable. These wires P and N are brought up from an underground main, S, through tube S', into the column A. rEhe windlass E is provided on the inside with a crank-handle, I, and a ratchetwheel, F, and pawl F', the spindle of said windlass -projecting through and provided with a square head, G, whereby it maybe turned by a crank, g, from the outside.

The cap H, adapted to be locked, may be used to prevent tritling with the lamp, and the chamber D is also provided with a door, D', provided with a lock, the key of which also opens the cap H.

We do not confine ourselves to this precise construction, as it may be modified in many ways, the essential feature being to' provide means for winding and unwinding the cable, and at the saine time keeping it electrically connected with the main wires.

Instead of using a deep spindle, M, as shown in Fig. 1, a short spindle, M, may be used, as shown in Fig. 4t, in which the spindle passes through a cap, L', secured to the post by pin or bolt Z, the spindle being secured in place by a nut, M2. .If desired, the long or short spindle maybe used and the hub M' provided with friction-wheels b b, to allow easy rotation, as shown in Fig. 5.

The arm B may be provided with a series of friction-rollers, Q', located along its under side, upon which the cable may run, as shown in Fig. 4, but if the pipe be smooth this is not necessary.

The operation is as follows: The lamp X being in position for lighting the street, as it is desired to insert new carbons the door D' or cap H is unlocked and the windlass rotated after turning back the pawl F'. Thisallows the lamp, which weighs about twenty pounds, to descend, being guided down the guide-strut C by roller Y, and dragging the cable W after it, until it reaches the position shown at X'. The roller Y is arrested by the hook T, which the guide G until it reaches the position shown at X. It' it be desired for any purpose to clear the street, the arm B is swung around, carrying the guide with it, and as the centers of the arm B and the guide C are not in the same vertical line a suicient amount of play is given by the extension or pin t to allow the increased length of the guide when turned at right angles. lf desired, the centers can be arranged directly over each other, but that would be more expensive and would not be any more effective.

By setting the post A about two feet from the curbing the lamp, when down, can be clear of all vehicles, as shown in Fig. l.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. In an electric-lamp support, a vertical column or post, in combination with a curved arm at the top, said arm projecting over the curbing and partly over the roadway,'and an electric lamp adapted to be raised or lowered to or from the end of said arm and at all times insulated therefrom, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

2. In an electric-lamp support, a vertical column or post, in combination with a curved arm pivoted at the top, adapted to swing around, said arm projecting over the roadway, and an electric lamp adapted to be raised or lowered to or from the end of said arm and insulated therefrom, as and for the purpose speci- 'ed.

3. ln an electric-lamp support, a vertical post or column provided at the top with an arm projecting partly over the roadway, in combination with a guide-rod connecting the end of the arm with the body of the post, and an electric lamp adapted to be raised or lowered to or from the end of said arm and insulated therefrom, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a support for electric lamps, a vertical post or column provided at the top with an arm extending partly over the roadway, in combination with a gnide'rod connecting the end of the arm with the body of the post, an electric lamp provided with means to guide it up and down said guide-rod, a conductingcable one end of which is secured to the lamp and the other to a windlass or equivalent device, said cable passing through the arm and post, and being electrically connected to the main wires, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a support for electric lamps, the combination of the post A, provided with sockets L, spindle M, with its hub M', arm B, secured IOO IOS

IIO

IIS

the end of said arm and insulated therefrom, as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a support for electric lamps, the conibination of vertical post A, arm B, pivoted to said post at the top, supported upon rollers b, and electric lamp X, connected to the end of said arm and insulated therefrom, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a support for electric lamps, the combination of post A, hollow arm B, pivoted at the i top of the post, cap O, carrying a roller, Q, guide-rod C, pivoted to the end of the arm, and provided at the bottom with shoulder provided with a hook, T, and pin t, bracket R, provided with hole r, secured to post A, and electric lamp X, provided with a grooved roller, Y, and means for raising and lowering the lamp, as and for the purpose specified.

8. In an electriclamp support, the combination of post A, hollow arm B, provided with roller Q on the end, electric lamp X, electric cable W, and windlass E, or its equivalent, adapted to wind up or unwind said cable withl out breaking the electrical connection between the main wires and cable, as and for the purpose speciied.

9. The hollow post A, in combination with the pivoted hollow arm B, provided with a roller, Q, at the end, and friction-rollers Q along its under surface, and electric cable W, consisting of insulated positive and negative conductors, as and for the purpose specied.

10. In a support for electric lamps, the post A, in combination with hollow arm B, windlass E, provided with a ilan ge having insulated conductin g-rin gs J and K, cable W, consisting of positive and negative wires, said wires being, respectively, connected to the rings J and K,contactpieces J and K, and main wiresP N, substantially as and for the purpose specitied.

In testimony of which invention we hereunto set our hands.

HENRY C. SAMPLE. FRANZ BABL. Witnesses:

R. A. CAVIN, THos. J. HUNT. 

